Schools with moderate learning difficulties provision in Essex
For pupils who learn at a slower pace across the curriculum and need work adapted for them. Essex has 0 mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties and 10 special schools that cater for it.
Special schools (10)
Special schools take pupils with an education, health and care plan; the council names the school in the plan. Many cater for several needs.
| School | Provision | Ages | Town | Places | Ofsted | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castledon SchoolSpecial school · also autism, severe learning difficulties | Special school | 5-19 | Wickford | 239 pupils | No overall grade 2025 | – |
| Cedar Hall SchoolSpecial school | Special school | 4-16 | Benfleet | 189 pupils | No overall grade 2025 | – |
| Endeavour Co-Operative AcademySpecial school | Special school | 4-19 | Brentwood | 170 pupils | Good 2023 | – |
| Harlow Fields School and CollegeSpecial school · also autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties | Special school | 3-19 | Harlow | 213 pupils | Report card 2026 | – |
| Kingswode Hoe SchoolSpecial school · also autism, other needs | Special school | 5-16 | Colchester | 167 pupils | Report card 2026 | – |
| Market Field SchoolSpecial school · also autism | Special school | 5-19 | Colchester | 519 pupils | Good 2019 | – |
| Oak View SchoolSpecial school · also autism, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, other needs and more | Special school | 3-19 | Loughton | 138 pupils | Good 2022 | – |
| Shorefields SchoolSpecial school · also autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties | Special school | 3-19 | Clacton-on-Sea | 177 pupils | Not inspected | – |
| St John's RC School (Essex)Special school · also speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties | Special school | 5-19 | Woodford Bridge | 102 pupils | Report card 2026 | – |
| Thriftwood SchoolSpecial school | Special school | 5-19 | Chelmsford | 279 pupils | No overall grade 2025 | – |
Mainstream schools listed for this need (1)
Registered for this need without a separate unit, so provision is within ordinary classes.
| School | Provision | Ages | Town | Places | Ofsted | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift ClactonSecondary school · also autism, hearing impairment, physical disability and more | Mainstream, listed for this need | 11-19 | Clacton on Sea | – | Good 2024 | 6 |
Other needs
How to read this
The list comes from the Department for Education's register of schools (Get Information about Schools), which records the type of SEN provision each school has and how many pupils are in a resourced provision or SEN unit. Resourced provision means extra staff and funding for a group of pupils who spend most of their time in ordinary classes. A SEN unit is a separate class within the school. Both need a place agreed by the council through an education, health and care plan; ask the council's SEND team, not the school's admissions office. The register is only as good as what schools report, so check with the school before relying on it.